Schumacher on pole for Australian GP

Michael Schumacher claimed the first pole position of the Formula One season
in Melbourne, setting a best time of 1:27.173. Ferrari team mate Rubens
Barrichello was second quickest to complete a front row Scuderia start to
tomorrow's ...

Michael Schumacher claimed the first pole position of the Formula One season
in Melbourne, setting a best time of 1:27.173. Ferrari team mate Rubens
Barrichello was second quickest to complete a front row Scuderia start to
tomorrow's race.

Minardi's Justin Wilson was first out, after setting the slowest time in the
Friday qualifying session. Mysteriously, both Wilson and team mate Jos
Verstappen pulled into the pit lane at the end of their single qualifying
lap, so technically not setting a time at all.

It was a very neat and tidy lap by Wilson until he aborted into the pits:
"Minardi were going to be at the back anyway," he said. "We felt that this
tactic will work best for our strategy." It's yet to be seen if Wilson and
Verstappen have even qualified.

Next out was Jaguar's Antonio Pizzonia, the Brazilian enthusiastically
kicking up dust as he went wide and set the first official time of 1:31.723.
Verstappen was next out, doing the same pulling into the pits maneuver as
Wilson.

Ralph Firman set the next pole time for Jordan and Mark Webber got a huge
cheer from the crowd as the Aussie Jaguar driver took to the track. He set
the second fastest time on his run, Ralf Schumacher claiming pole just
before him.

Giancarlo Fisichella removed Webber from second, then Heinz-Harald Frentzen
took a surprise pole for Sauber, 1:28.274. Team mate Nick Heidfeld went
second quickest. Toyota's Cristiano da Matta kicked up a lot of dust on his
fast lap but went sixth quickest.

Despite a sluggish out lap, Juan Pablo Montoya set the next provisional pole
of 1:28.101 for Williams. Renault's Jarno Trulli was next out and went fifth
fastest after going well wide in the dust.

Olivier Panis surprised with third quickest on his flying lap and Renault's
Fernando Alonso clocked sixth despite a big slide. David Coulthard was first
out for McLaren and went 7th fastest.

BAR reverted to the Honda testing engine after a dismal time with the new
engine over the winter. Jenson Button went fifth fastest at the time,
followed by Jacques Villeneuve, despite the Canadian going very wide into
the dust.

Raikkonen took to the track in the spare McLaren after writing off his race
car in free practice. He too went very wide into the dust and wound up a
very disappointing 14th, although it appeared that he suffered a flat tyre.